I usually enjoy cleaning.  I like the satisfaction of standing back and looking at a clean floor/mirror/bathroom/whatever. I clean in little snippets of time and usually have a presentable, comfortably tidy house, mostly because I just enjoy cleaning.

I have daughter who is so much like me that often I see myself from my childhood in her.  It's like I am looking at myself from the outside, and still understanding mostly what is going on inside, even though the person I am understanding is a whole, unique, different person.

Cams came into the house crying today because her brother wasn't letting her help clean out a dirty tote bin.  Through her tears, she explained to me why she was so upset that he wasn't sharing his chore. "He just doesn't know how much I love to clean!"

Yes, that's my kid.

Change

Things have been changing a lot this month in the Castle.

Obvious kinds of changes.

Exciting changes.

I didn't forget

My daughter was telling me this morning, "Today I am going to do this and this and this..."
I told her that she needed to do school first and she looked at me and said, "MAN!! You didn't forget!"

Just for the record; we don't usually forget about school.

Law

While driving home from Awana tonight, my older daughter asked what the term "sister-in-law" means.  I tried to explain that when your brother gets married the couple signs a marriage license and the law of that state says that the wife is now part of your family.  She is not your sister, but by the law she is called your sister-in-law.  That must not have been a very good explaination because my younger daughter piped up, "Mom, we didn't really understand that."

Fail.

But my oldest consoled her with the comment, "Don't worry.  When you get older you'll understand stuff like that."

Diaper Bag

My sis-in-law was wondering what a mom needs to have in her diaper bag.  That got me thinking.  What are the things I carry with me in my little bag?  I have a small diaper bag.  I haven't seen too many people with a smaller diaper bag than I have.  Come to think of it, I don't remember ever seeing anyone with a smaller diaper bag than I have.  I must not carry any extra stuff around.

Anyway, these are my must haves:
1) diapers
2) wipes
3) wallet
4) pacifiers
And, if the baby is less than a year old:
5) an extra outfit for the baby

That's about it.  Those are my essentials.

I also carry:
6) chapstick
7) scissors
8) kleenexes
But those items are optional and not in the must have department.

So there you have it.  The items of my diaper bag.

Puppy Love

It was a bit of a tough day at my house.  A good life lesson day.  One of those days that you learn, as my dad says, "It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all." 

We had to put down our dog of 11 years.

Max several years ago.



Max enjoying the snow and the kids.



Our puppy got hit by our truck.



Daisy earlier this summer.



All in the same day.

The Castle Kitchen



Kitchen on March 29



Kitchen on April 22




Kitchen on May 12

Kitchen on May 23

Kitchen on May 24




Kitchen on May 31



Kitchen on July 6